The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has expressed concern over the growing number of fire outbreaks in the Greater Accra and Tema Metropolitan Area.
The service says the region now records around 20 fire incidents every day.
The Assistant Divisional Officer, Alex King Nartey, described the situation as serious. He said human carelessness and poor safety habits cause most of the fires.
He added that Tema is also facing a worrying trend. In some cases, the area has recorded as many as 25 fire outbreaks in a single day.
“Believe it or not, no less than 20 fires in Accra. In Tema alone, no less than 25 in a day,” he said.
Mr Nartey questioned why the number of fires keeps rising. He explained that many of these incidents could be avoided because they result from careless human behaviour.
“What is it we are not doing right? For which you see fire here, fire there,” he asked, while stressing that negligence remains the main cause.
He mentioned careless waste burning, unsafe cooking practices, and poor supervision of fire sources as major reasons for the repeated outbreaks.
He explained that some people set fire to rubbish and leave it unattended. The wind then spreads sparks to nearby materials that can easily catch fire, causing unnecessary damage.
“Someone knows they are burning refuse but goes back to sleep. Someone is cooking, gets a call, lies down and sleeps. These fires can start just like that,” he explained.
Mr Nartey said the GNFS is not only focused on fighting fires but also on educating the public. He noted that awareness campaigns remain an important way to reduce fire outbreaks across the country.
He advised the public to follow stricter safety measures. He warned that if people continue to act carelessly, the fire situation in major cities could become worse.
